Machine for shearing sheep skins and hides.



- H. A. ROBERTS.

MACHINE FOR SHEARING SHEEP SKINS AND HIDES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1913.

1,164,751. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co ,WASHINGTON, 11c

v H. A. ROBERTS. MACHINE FOR SHEARING SHEEP SKINS AND HIDES.

APPLICATION FlLED AUG-20, 19I.3'

1,164,751. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Wvinap; 6 5 Q Jnra Mada/.4 M d%@ mm m a 7 H. AQROBERTS.

MACHINE FOR SHEARING SHEEP SKINS AND HIDES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, I9I3.

11,164,751. Patented Dec.21,1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOIJmH co wnsnmu'roN, D. c.

35 ating in lugs on the bracket; the opposite end of the bell crank lever being connected HENRY .ALFZR'EI) ROBERTS, 0F REDFERN, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

MACHINE FOR SHEAR'ING SHEEP SKINS AND HIDES.

Toall' whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, HENRY ALFRED Ron- ER'l-S, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at l WVilliam street, Redfern, Sydney, New South Vales, Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Shearing Sheep Skins and Hides, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its'object theshearing of sheep skins or hides, after they are removed from the carcass.

It consists of a swinging frame, preferably of cast iron, beneath and in front of which is formed a longitudinal recess, in

which, aggregated contiguously, removable combs are fastened, the combs being similar to those commonly used in sheep shearing machines. Above and in contact with each comb is a, cutter of suitable width. Each cutter is held in position by a fork which is capable of oscillating on a pin. The cutters are so arranged that, when in operation they oscillate in contactv with the combs, the tension being adjusted by means of tension screws. Inside each fork is provided a roller, the periphery of which is approxi mately spherical, to enable the same to have universal movement, without friction. Each roller movesfreely on a pin which is rigidly secured to a-tube or bar, which is capable of rapidly reciprocating in bearings provided in said frame. To actuate the said reciprocating bar, one end of the same 1s attached to one end of a bell crank lever, operto. an eccentric rod, operated by an eccentric on the. drive shaft. The drive shaft passes through and revolves in bearings in a common frame and the rear of the swinging frame aforementioned, which latter is suspended from the drive shaft to enable it to be raised, in front, the necessary height for the, skins to pass under the combs; or, when it is necessary to renew a comb, or cutter, or remove the same for sharpening, the whole frame can be turned back so as to expose its under face. For conveying the skins beneath the combs, I provide an axially bisected drum, secured on a rotatable shaft and having its halves hinged together, and held in their normally closed position by a tension spring. Foot levers are provided, which, when pressed downwardly, operate suitable toggles which are connected to each Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed August 20, 1.91.3. Serial No. 785,643.

half. of the drum and open the same to allow one end of the skin to, be placed therein, so as to be grippedthereby when the foot levers are released. The drum is slowly rotated from the drive shaft by means of intermediate gear, and may be stopped at any point by the means and for the reason hereinafter mentioned.

To facilitate explanation drawings are annexed in which similar. reference figures refer to similar parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the general arrangement of the machine. Fig. 2 a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. scale (approximately a third full size) of the swinging frame showing the combs and cutters. Fig. 5 a side view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a detail end view of the drum and scans PATENT orrron.

Fig. 4: a detail plan to an enlarged the members for opening and closing the 2 represent the cutters, 3 the forks which are capable of. oscillating on tension pins 4, the lower ends of which are rounded and take their hearing on removable plates 5 which are screwed to a planed surface be neath the frame A. Tension screws 6, for adjusting the pressure of the cutters on tho combs, are screwed in the frame A and bear on the forks 3. Rollers 7, capable of universal movement in forks 3, are fitted to, move freely on pins 8 which are rigidly secured to or in a bar or tube 9 capable of longitudinal reciprocating movement in bearings 10 in the frame'A. One end of the bar-9 is attached to one end of a bell crank lever 11 with free movement. The bell crank lever 11 operates on a pin 12 in lugs 13. The opposite end of the bell crank lever 11 is attached to one end of an eccentric rod ll, with free movement, which is operated by an eccentric 15 keyed or otherwise secured to the drive shaft 16, which passes through bearings 17, 17 in the swinging frame Aand 18, 18, in the main frame B, and is capable of rotating in all the said bearings. A fly wheel 19and fast and loose pulleys 20 are Beneath frame A- I their normal position; a handle 26 is keyed to the shaft 22 for operating thecams. On

shaft 27'is'secured'a drum 28 axially bisected, and hinged at 29. Foot levers 30 are connected by suitable connections 31 to the levers 32 which latter are keyed or otherwlse rigidly secured on the shaft 22. Directly underneath each lever 32 isa toggle 33, the free end of one arm of which'is pivoted to one half of the drum 28 at 34, while the other end is jointed to the other half of the drum at 35. The tension spring 36 attached to each half of the drum-tends to retain the latter in its normal or closedposition.

I On the shaft-27 is keyed a worm Wheel 37 operated by a wo'rm 38 keyed on the shaft 39which revolves in bearings 40 secured to i theframe B. On shaft 39 is also apul- I ering the'worm 38 into gear with the worm wheel 37 by vmeans of thehandle 49. The

swinging frame A is raised in front by ley 4:1 fromlwhich a belt f2 passes over a pulley 43, on thespindle l 1 which revolves in a bracket 5. On the latter spindle is also keyed a pulley 46 from whichpasses a belt 47 over the pulley l8 on the drive shaft 16 i I i,

To operate the machine, the foot levers 30 are pressed downward, when the levers 32 will presson the toggles 33,'thus forcing apart the halves of the drum 28. One'end of a whole skin is inserted in the opening 50 and the foot levers released, when the springs 36 will close the opening 50 of the drum again, and the skin will be firmly gripped. The drum is now rotated by low- I means of the cams 23 operated by the handle26, and when the skin with'the' wool outward is beneath I the combs, the hinged bracket A is lowered on to the skin; and as the drum is rotated (the wool [is shorn from the skin and falls outward toward the front,

whilethe skin travels'with the drum,'and is released when shorn. v

I am aware that combs and .cuttershave been used singly for shearing sheep, but I amv not aware that similar combs and cutters have been so arranged that the latter fact in unison-in contact with the combs for shearing whole sheep skins.

I- I wish it understood that I do not con- I fine myself to theidentical means shown in 7 thefidrawings and'described herein for rei Copies of this patent may be obtained for 'i volving the drumfbut I' may use their equivalent. I

-Having now fullydescribed my invention, I declare that what I claim is In a machine for shearing Whole skins and hides, a swingingfran e, a series of re movable combs arranged contiguously on a shorn, substantially as described and shown in the drawings and for the purpose set forth. I 7

' 2. In combination'in'a machine of the character described; the swinging frame A, the combs 1 carried thereby, cutters2adapted to be oscillated thereover, oscillating means therefor, the main frameiB; an axially bisected drum 28 rotatably'mounted therein ineansfor rotatin the said'drum I means for norinally'holding the said drum closed, toggles33 mounted on the'ends of the said drum and having the free end of each arm "thereof pivotally secured to one half of the said drum, levers 32 mounted and means for depressing the said leversgI ln combination in a machine of the above the said toggles in'the frame B, and adapted to spread the same when depressed, a 7

character described, the supporting: frame II B, the frame A suspended therein, combs '1 removably secured to the under face there of, cutters 2 adapted to be oscillated thereover, means for adjusting the said cutters relatively to the said combs, means'for .os-- cillating the said cutters, rotatable slide gripping means, rotating means therefor,

' means for normally holding the gripping means in gripping position, and means'for releasing the said gripp ng means.

4. in combination in a machineiof the character described, a main frame, a frame swingingly mounted therein, combs removably secured to the under'face thereof, cut'- ters adapted to be oscillated thereover,

means for-adjusting the said cuttersl'relaetively to the said combs; means for oscillating the said cutters, hide gr pplngmeans rotatably mounted in the said: main frame,

means for rotating the said grippingmeans,

means for controlling the said rotating e means, means for normally hold ng the said I I gripping means in gripping position, means for releasing the said-gripping means, and

means for raising theswlnging frame coin- I cidently with the release ofthe sald a p ng means.

In witness whereof I have hereuntoset my:

hand in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses WILLIA WALKER, OLIVER WALKER.

- Washington, D. G.

HENRY [ALFRED ROBERTS. l 7

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of 'Patents, 

